Big Mo's Blog

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 7/21/2013

Ace Hood has a career moment with "Trials & Tribulations." J. Cole goes gold with "Born Sinner." Kevin Gates puts on for Baton Rouge, while Mayday!'s "Believers" sets a career best.

For the second week in a row, Jay-Z held the top spot on the charts with Magna Carta Holy Grail. Jay sold just under 130,000 second-week units, nearly double that of #2 artist Sara Bareilles.

Ace Hood's first album since leaving Def Jam Records is also the highest-charting of his career. Trials & Tribulations, Hood's debut with Cash Money/We The Best/Universal Republic Records scored a Top 5 on the charts, a first for DJ Khaled's longtime protege. The LP sold over 33,000 first-week copies, also a benchmark feat for the five-plus-year veteran.

J. Cole crossed the 500,000 mark with Born Sinner, making it the second Roc Nation album to grab a RIAA plaque this month, after the aforementioned the M.C.H.G.

One of Atlantic Records' newest artists, Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Kevin Gates hit the charts for the first time with Stranger Than Fiction. Available for free stream online, the digital-only release features label-mate Wiz Khalifa, and Three 6 Mafia's Juicy J.

Also hitting the Top 200 is Strange Music band ¡Mayday!. Another Florida act, ¡Mayday!'s second group effort in as many years, Believers, follows band-member Wrekonize's own The War Within, which debuted on the Top 200 earlier this month.

Ace Hood Thrives After Five Years Of Trials & Tribulations

In his fourth album, Ace Hood hit record-high's in chart position and first-week sales. We The Best's flagship artist found 2013 success in the single "Bugatti," which features both Rick Ross and Future. Now moved to Universal Republic and backed by Cash Money, the Florida vet continues his collaborative history with Lil Wayne on Trials & Tribulations, in addition to work with Meek Mill, Chris Brown, and '70s Soul/Disco singer Betty Wright.

¡Mayday! Has Plenty Of Believers

Another Sunshine State act, ¡Mayday!, hit the charts for the second time in as many Summers. The group's fourth album, and second nationally-distributed effort with Strange Music, features label-mates Tech N9ne and Stevie Stone, along with Kardinal Offishall, and Kansas City, Missouri independent sensation Irv Da Phenom. The LP includes the video single, "HighRide."